Thermostat



May 27, 1941. Y, E. L. MAYO 2,243,714

THERMOSTAT Filed Aug. 25, 1938 INVENT OR.

BYJM/F MM ATTORNEY.

Patented May 27, 1941 THERMO STAT Edward L. Mayo, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Bishop & Babcock Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 23, 1938, Serial No. 226,296

1 Claim.

This invention relates to thermostatic valve mechanisms of the by-pass types such as are used with internal combustion engines for the purpose of effecting a thermostatic control of the flow of the cooling liquid for such engines through circuits including the radiators thereof as well as for efiecting a thermostatic control of the flow of such liquid through by-pass circuits excluding the radiators.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved construction for effecting a seal between the bottom of the skirt of the thermostatic valve housing and the portion of the outlet casting which is located below the by-pass connection and below the chamber within the casting with which the said connection communicates.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for effecting a seal between the neck portion of the said housing and the opening through which cooling liquid is supplied to the radiator.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of openings and valve members cooperating therewith for controlling the flow of liquid to the by-pass connection.

I realize the foregoing objects in and through the construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 represents a vertical medial sectional view through my improved thermostatic valve device, as it appears installed on the head of an internal combustion engine and with the by-pass valve members in open position; and Fig. 2 a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the bellows in elevation and the by-pass valve members in closed position.

Describing the parts herein by reference characters, I represents a part of the head of an internal combustion engine, the same being provided with an opening 2 communicating with a portion 2 of the water-jacket circuit. An outlet casting 3 is secured to the engine head in any approved manner, as by lugs 3 and bolts 4. This casting is provided with a chamber 5 in the bottom thereof which communicates at its lower end with the opening 2 and at its upper end with an annular chamber 6 surrounding the skirt of the housing of the valve mechanism and receiving cooling liquid from the chamber 5 through valve-controlled ports in the said skirt. The chamber 6 communicates in turn with a by-pass hose connection 1. The casting 3 i also provided with the connection 8 through which the cooling liquid from the engine is conducted to the radiator in the usual manner.

It will'be noted that the annular seat 3 which is provided on the engine head for the body of the casting 3 projects radially inwardlybeyond the base of the casting 3, there being a gasket 9 interposed between. the base of the casting and the said seat. It will be noted further that the portion of the casting at the base of the chamber 5 and below the connection 8 is provided with a radially inwardly projecting annular shoulder Ill.

The valve housing comprises a cylindrical kirt ll having at the bottom thereof a radially outwardly projecting flang l2 which is adapted to engage beneath the shoulder ID. The shoulder I3 extends radially inwardly from the top of the skirt II, and from the inner edge of said shoulder the neck l4projects through an aperture in an annular flange l5 extending radially inwardly from the casting 3. I6 denotes a gasket which fits snugly about the neck l4 and which engages the lower surface of the flange l5, thereby to seal the outlet connection 8 from the chamber 6 and the by-pass hose connection 1.

l1 denotes the bellows of the thermostatic valve, the bottom of the bellows being sealed to a disk l8 supported from the housing by strap arms 19 having their upper ends riveted to the shoulder I3. 20 denotes a plate extending across and beneath the disk l8 and united thereto in any suitable manner, as by pressing the central portion of the plate upwardly into a central opening I8 in the disk and soldering the parts together. The plate is provided with upwardly curved arms 2| of resilient material, preferably spring brass and preferably integral with the plate 20. The ends of the arms 2| engage the seat 3', within the base of the casting 3 and are in engagement with said base.

The upper end of the bellows is sealed by a disk 22 having valve members projecting preferably from opposite sides thereof and. comprising each a vertically extending arm portion 23 and a horizontally extending arm portion 24 having a curved finger 25 at its outer end adapted to make a line contact with the inner surface of the skirt 1 l as it is moved upwardly and downwardly by the bellows. These valve members cooperate with openings 25 provided in the shoulder I3.

26 denotes a tubular stud .which is sealed to the disk 22 and through the bore 26 whereof the bellows may be charged with a suitable liquid having the desired low-temperature vaporizing point, the top of the bore being closed by a plug 21. The upper end of the stud is reduced in diis located below the chamber 6 and below the by-pass hose connection I. These spring arms also force or compress the gasket l6 between the shoulder l3 and the lower surf-ace of the flange l 5. This obviates the necessity for a machine fit between the neck 14 and the Wall of the opening in the flange l5 through which the neck projects.

When the cooling liquid of the engine is below a predetermined temperature, the valve 28 will be seated and the water will circulate .freely through the interior of the skirt I I, through the openings 25 and the hose connection 1 to the water jacket of the motor. As the temperature of the cooling liquid rises, the valve members 24 will be moved upwardly by the bellows, gradually and finally completely closing the openings 25, while the valve 28 will be correspondingly gradually opened until, when it reaches its fully opened position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the cooling liquid will circulate practically entirely through the circuit including the radiator. By the provision of the fingers 25, the valve members 24 will not adhere to the skirt and thereby impair the efficient operation of the valve mechanism in controlling the flow of the cooling liquid through both circuits.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a by-pass thermostat valve mechanism for controlling the flow of cooling liquid for an internal combustion engine, the combination of a housing comprising a substantially cylindrical skirt, a neck, and an annular shoulder extending radially inwardly from the top of the skirt and connecting the same with the bottom of the neck, the said neck being provided at its outer end with a seat for a valve and the said shoulder being provided with one or more openings for the'passage of cooling liquid through a by-pass connection, a thermostatic bellows, means for supporting the bottom of the said bellows in fixed relation to said housing, a valve carried by the upper end of said bellows adapted to cooperate with the seat formed on the outer end of said neck, and a valve member for each of the openings in the said shoulder, each of the said valve members being movably carried by said bellows and each having an upper surface adapted to engage the portion of the shoulder surrounding the opening with which it cooperates and each of said valve members being provided with a projection adapted to engage the inner surface of the skirt and to make a line contact therewith as its valve member is moved upwardly and downwardly by the bellows.

EDWARD L. MAYO, 

